


Cascades of Stars and Snow

by avidbeader



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Rituals, Don’t copy to another site, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Sheith Lives On, Wedding Fluff, Weddings, bonus art, happy sheithversary, now with commissioned art!, what's a season 8?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 00:28:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21788305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avidbeader/pseuds/avidbeader
Summary: Inspired by the following tweet from the@ShirosMarryingTwitter account (which every Sheith fan should be following):"Today Shiro married Keith on the planet Xipri. Per the local custom, they wore veils chosen by the other. Keith’s veil was black gauze with tiny red & purple gems scattered across it like stars. Shiro’s was a floor-length fall of white lace embroidered with silver thread. "
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 89





	Cascades of Stars and Snow

**Author's Note:**

> Normally this is where I'd thank [Latart0903](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latart0903) for her excellent beta help. Except I got hit with this mere hours before December 14 and I was determined to have something to share today as part of what I hope is a flood of us celebrating Sheith. I'll ask her to look it over on her own time, which means there will be a little editing done later.
> 
> ETA: Now polished and edited with Latart's approval!
> 
> Hat tip to the #VPRP role-playing group on Twitter, who came up with the idea of Keith calling Shiro "Starlight" (and Shiro calling Keith "Sunshine"). They've been a wonderful positive force in the fandom and I so appreciate their efforts.
> 
> The Sheith fandom, ignoring any idiocy from the outside, is one of the most supportive and warm groups of people I've had the pleasure to meet. Love you all and I hope we'll all be treasuring our ship for a long time to come.
> 
> ETA: Please enjoy my commission from [Prosaicwonder](https://twitter.com/prosaicwonder) for this fic!

_I’m getting married today. I’m actually getting married._

Keith paced in the luxurious guest quarters, trying to wrap his brain around the last few weeks. He still wasn’t sure just how they’d gotten here, holding the ceremony so soon after Shiro proposed to him. But both Kolivan and Allura had agreed that having the wedding on Xipri, a new Coalition member, would be a solid political move.

Telluz, the attaché assigned to Keith, entered with Krolia. He was below average height for both humans and Xiprians, with a fair complexion and an easy smile. His veil was a shimmering red with stylized black lions embroidered around the hem. Krolia looked stunning in a black gown with gold and purple accents, her veil a contrasting gold with black and purple trim. 

The Xiprians always wore veils, from the moment their offspring were old enough to understand not to pull them off willy-nilly. In ancient times, the veils had been crafted to show family alliances, marital status, and rank in the nobility. Today the veils were less about identification and more about fashion, but some customs persisted. In public, those who were single had to let the veil cover their faces, while married people and those widowed let them flow down their backs. Such standards were slightly relaxed with children and athletes in most sports, who were allowed to twist their veils into turbans circling their heads while they played.

When it was time for a couple to be wed, the pair would design veils for the other to wear during the ceremony and honeymoon. Keith, already uneasy with having to go around with a cloth draped over his head, impairing his ability to see clearly or move easily, had been overwhelmed by the infinite choices of fabric, patterns, and embellishments that Telluz had shown him. 

Krolia was carrying a package that held the veil Shiro had chosen for Keith. He swallowed hard and reached for it. He unwrapped a mantle of fine black gauze, thin enough that he would be able to see through it easily. He smiled at Shiro going for the obvious choice and also knowing that Keith wouldn’t want anything overly fussy. Krolia moved to stand beside him, her arm around his shoulders.

Then Telluz lifted the veil to shake out the folds, and Keith gasped.

Hundreds of tiny gemstones were woven into the fabric, glinting in the morning sun from the windows. Red and purple, they twinkled like fireworks against a night sky. Keith put one hand under the gauze to get a better look and shapes began to leap to his eyes. Orion with his belt and upraised sword. Ursa Major lumbering across the scene. The warrior Galo and the Fire Dragon from New Altea’s sky. The Archer from Arus.

Constellation after constellation winked at him, each one a memento from their travels through space. Keith felt wetness around his eyes and Telluz swiftly produced a handkerchief and began dabbing at Keith’s face. He beamed. “Oh, this is a good sign. When the prospective partner is moved so deeply by their betrothed’s choice, it shows how compatible they are.”

Keith took the handkerchief to dry his own eyes and shrugged ruefully. “I doubt Shiro will feel the same way. I had such a hard time deciding and finally went with something simple.”

“What was your inspiration?” Telluz asked.

“It...was kind of lame. Ever since his hair went completely white, I’ve been calling him Starlight as a nickname of sorts. I found this white lace with a star pattern and got them to add silver to it. Seems really simple compared to something like this.” Keith trailed his hand over the gauze, watching the gemstones sparkle.

“I think he’ll love it because you chose it for him.” Krolia squeezed her arm around him briefly, then stepped back. “Now, you’ve been messing with your braid again. Let me redo it and we’ll get this veil set properly.”

  
  


Shiro’s hands trembled slightly as he accepted the bundle from Allura and Mité, his Xiprian liaison. Matt sprawled on a couch nearby, the pale green tulle of his veil already untidy since, in the privacy of Shiro’s quarters, he had it thrown back from his face. Allura’s pink chiffon with blue satin trim was held away from her face by her crown, marking her marriage to Lance. Mité's lemon-yellow taffeta had been chosen to contrast nicely with her dark hair.

Shiro unrolled the protective layer to reveal a cascade of snowy white lace. Mité cooed with excitement and lifted the veil to spread it out across the bed. Shiro’s eyes widened as he got a good look at how _long_ it was...It might just cover him from head to toe like a sheet for a child playing ghost.

Matt got up to take a closer look, cackling at first. Then he paused, considering. “Huh. Guess Keith’s got a poet’s soul under the cranky bastard persona.”

Shiro glanced at Matt, then back. He took a closer look, noting the stylized star pattern in the lace. The silver embroidery made them shimmer like the real thing…

Oh. Stars. Starlight.

Shiro suddenly needed to swallow and clear the lump in his throat.

They draped the veil over him and Shiro was surprised when he looked in the mirror. Instead of the sheeted ghost he’d pictured, the veil was mysterious, stars dancing around him like snowflakes, offering glimpses of the man beneath the glistening material. And after Mité had Allura and Matt practice lifting it to fall behind him, which they would do before Shiro and Keith kissed to seal the ritual, the veil flowed around him like a magnificent cape.

Suddenly Shiro couldn’t wait to get to the basilica and see Keith in his veil.

  
  


Krolia moved forward, gathering the hem of Keith’s veil and lifting it over his head to fall down his back. Affectionately, she tugged his braid to hang forward over his shoulder. He smiled, then looked across at Shiro, who was being helped by Matt and Allura. The white and silver veil had drawn impressed murmurs the moment Shiro entered, and Keith felt absurdly proud of how stunning his partner looked in his white tux and magnificent veil.

The officiant motioned for them to approach the dais for the prayer and pronouncement that would conclude the ceremony. She finished speaking, then took a double handful of flower petals, scattering them over the pair. As she brought her empty hands together, she concluded, “From this day forth, your faces will be open to the world, showing your love for one another. May your happiness always be grounded in trust and support. May you have the courage to share your troubles with one another and the patience to heal one another. May your love guide you through life’s journey and always provide a safe harbour.” She paused to look across the room, making eye contact with most of the guests. Lance and Coran beamed. Hunk nodded resolutely. Pidge bit her lip, obviously ready to launch herself for first hugs when the ritual ended.

“You may kiss and show yourselves to all.”

They stepped forward. Shiro put his hands to Keith’s face while Keith slid his hands around Shiro’s neck under the veil. As Shiro was going in, Keith whispered, “You look better than I ever dreamed in that thing.”

Shiro halted and smiled. “Yeah? I was thinking I could get used to you in yours. Especially if it’s the only thing you’re wearing.”

Keith blushed hot and surged up to plant his lips on his husband’s, before he could say anything else and be overheard. As applause erupted around them, their kiss softened and they pulled each other close, Shiro’s veil sweeping forward to cocoon them and Keith’s falling back in a spill of glittering ebony. They finally parted, beaming at one another, and turned together to welcome their friends and family. The officiant intoned the final words as a signal for the guests to come forward and congratulate the new couple.

“I present to you Shiro and Keith, bonded as partners to walk life’s journey as one.”


End file.
